Angel Falls is named for Jimmie Angel, an American bush pilot and gold-hunting adventurer, who discovered the falls in 1937. Jimmie Angel flew over the falls in November 1933 while searching for gold. In October 1937 he returned to the falls with the intention of landing. On board his Flamingo monoplane that day were his second wife Marie, and three friends. Jimmie attempted a landing but despite a successful touchdown, his aircraft nose-dived when it hit soft ground at the end of its landing run. The wheels sank in the mud making take-off impossible. The occupants were unharmed but had to trek across difficult terrain and with low food supplies for 11 days to make their way off the tepui and down to the nearest settlement at Kamarata.
Auyantepui is the source of Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall. The falls is 3,212 feet, with a clear drop of 2,647 feet.